Axil Castillo-Almeida, 24, a native of Columbia and illegal immigrant living in East Elmhurst, Queens, NY, was charged with breaking into a home on Lockwood Road in Riverside on August 27, 2022.
The Riverside homeowner's video system captured a man holding a balloon and a novelty gift bag, ringing the door bell at the residence. Video showed two vehicles in the vicinity of the home at the time of the burglary, a Chevrolet Malibu and a Chrysler Town and Country with false Pennsylvania licenses.
The burglar is part of an organized group of South American nationals residing in the tristate area who dress as delivery men while committing burglaries. Authorities say the group was responsible for 14 or more residential burglaries in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, resulting in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars of stolen personal items.
Greenwich homeowners have been hit on multiple occasions by organized burglars who work with specialized tools, look-outs, cars with fake licenses and other methods to avoid capture, police said.
Between the lines: Don't open the door for the balloon man.